Sensory boxes made by kind-hearted Bedfordshire teens

Teenagers who completed their NCS with the sensory boxes they made to support youngsters with mental health issues

Published:11:27Wednesday 26 October 2016

Kind-hearted teenagers who completed their National Citizen Service (NCS) in Bedfordshire have been praised for their work supporting young people with mental health issues.

A group of 20 each donated a sensory box to the Bedfordshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

(CAMHS) team.

The boxes were hand-designed by the NCS volunteers, who sourced the contents through contacting businesses and launching a GoFundMe page to pay for other items.

These were based round the five senses and designed to help reduce feelings of stress, tension and anxiety. They included stress-relieving Tangles, green tea, bubble wrap, glitter boxes, scented

chapsticks, links to useful mindfulness websites and illustrated suggestions on other

contents that can be added.

The scheme was nominated by 17-year-old Samuel Whitbread Academy student Maddie Morris, who has herself received help from the CAMHS team.

She said she hoped the work of the NCS group would assist in breaking down the barriers people have when it comes to mental health.

NCS spokeman James Preston said: “One of our fundamental goals is to provide opportunities for participants to make their mark and give back to the local community, which is exactly what these teens have done.

“A project like this means so much to so many people, it’s really heartwarming to see.”